∼∞∼ The suitcase lay open on the bed, waiting to hungrily devour the clothes shoved into it. I could tell by the tension in her back and the way she crumpled the innocent fabric that she was furious. She’d hoped…

∼∞∼ The last vapors of anxiety disappeared in the fresh air. Breathing deeply of the crisp autumn scents, I headed to my favorite place in the city — the waterfront. The river that ran through the heart of Portland was…

∼∞∼ I scanned the distant patrons of the park, searching for her misshapen hat and baggy, drab clothing. Finding nothing but the usual mix of brightly colored spandex and fashionably layered earth-tones, I turned my gaze to the shadows, peering…

∼∞∼ I dropped the chunk of shoe like a hot coal, heard it clatter against the ground as it rolled under the bench, and started desperately yanking on my feet. Panic had completely taken over; hysteria was just around the…

∼∞∼ I still didn’t understand exactly what was happening. But it was obvious that I would soon be completely stone. And that somehow, the homeless woman was responsible. Nine-one-one had been a dead end, my plight so unbelievable that calling back…

∼∞∼ Emotionally spent, I slumped against the back of the bench, staring limply at the brackish water. I didn’t blame the other patrons for not rushing to my aid. I wouldn’t have either. I’d never gone out of my way…

∼∞∼ I felt cheated. I had watched the sun eventually dip behind the few skyscrapers Portland had to offer, throwing my bench into the shadows of oncoming night as the stone slowly made its way up to my chest. I…

∼∞∼ The first fingers of dawn crept over the distant mountains, rousing birds to protest the incessant splattering of rain. True to Portland weather, the night had been plagued with bouts of torrential downpours and menacingly overcast periods that were…